updated 12:25 pm EDT, Thu August 25, 2011

GameStop pulls Deus Ex, has Square Enix support

GameStop has responded to the backlash after it was found to open PC copies of Deus Ex: Human Revolution and removing coupons for the game on the OnLive games streaming system by pulling all copies of the game from store shelves. A copy of the e-mail sent to franchise stores was sent to Wired urges stores to pull the regular PC copy of the game for a later return and refund to maker Square Enix. Surpisingly, Square Enix supports GameStop's decision.

"As part of Deus Ex: Human Revolution's boxed offering on PC, Square Enix included a third-party coupon," the developer wrote in a statement. "GameStop was not made aware of this inclusion and Square Enix respects the right of GameStop to have final say over the contents of products it sells and to adjust them where they see fit in accordance with their policies."

The company then invited gamers who want to purchase the PC version of the game without new coupons to buy it at any of the more than 4,000 GameStop retailers or from the store's website. GameStop will not sell copies of the game online until it gets new stock without the code.

Gamers have criticized GameStop for what they see as tampering with the boxes and stripping away features in order to shelter its business. While it has a right to control some of what it sells, the store as one of the largest game resellers in the US is effectively muting competition by stripping away an OnLive deal players would want. It's both trying to shelter its retail business as well as its competing streaming game service. [viaArs Technica]